All About the Benjamins

_(excerpted from original article)_
Considering Jews in hip hop is kind of like finding a stoop sale with a couple of interesting eye-catchers on the sidewalk and a trove of far more significant treasures further up the stairs. The eye-catchers are the usual suspects—The Beastie Boys, Remedy of the Wu-Tang Clan, Blood of Abraham, Paul Barman—MCs whose skills vary and whose Jewishness defies the hip-hop norm. But, their presence on wax is nothing compared to what goes on behind the scenes. Indeed, some of the biggest names in the business are Jewish—Lyor Cohen of Def Jam, Steve Rifkind of Loud Records, David Mays of _The Source_ —to say nothing of those who course throughout the industry as label executives, entertainment lawyers, agents, publicists, producers, clothiers and jewelers. An inquiry to one inevitably references five more: “Oh, have you talked to Gottleib at FUBU? Or Sonenberg who handles Wyclef?” The Jewish presence in hip hop is huge, and, for the most part, offstage.